Scilen ((Cil-in))

Scilen is a practice and belief system originally from the regions of Ardetus.   Practitioners of Scilen believe that the world around us is infused with uncountable spirits and consciousnesses much like those possessed by humans, known as Pucca (Poo-Kah). These spirits can become corrupted by disrespect or the sins of the humans around them, transforming into monsters. They are blamed for everything from habitual sadness, to famines, to drunkenness. The Pucca are not only malicious creatures, however, as they can bring positive and beneficial effects, such as happiness, wealth, or good fortune.   When a person is afflicted by a Pucca, they need only to use their creativity to make a written description of the creature and create an artistic representation of the spirit; known as an Effigy (Ehf-ige-e). This ritual is thought to strip the Pucca of its power and trap it inside of the effigy, stopping its influence. However, if this influence is a positive one the afflicted may create their effigy with deliberate mistakes; preventing the Pucca from being trapped. This ritual may even ingratiate one to the Pucca, bringing greater benefits.   While there are as many Pucca as there are ways to interpret the world around us, some have clung to the shadowy corners of the cultural mind. These Pucca never seem to be trapped by their effigies, some claiming that the spirit themselves appeared and destroyed any effigies before they could be completed. I have listed some below.   Phlabeir (Fla-bea-air)   A Pucca found among the fertile southern plains around Caisleanarnoc, where most of the wheat and cattle are raised in the nation of Ardetus, the Phlabeir appears as a horrible combination of those traits. The Phlabeir stalks the fields in the form of the rotting corpse of a headless bull. From its form protrude the similarly rotten remains of the spirit's victims: from its chest emerges a rotting human head, from its sides, withered limbs that are grotesquely long, as well as pustule-ridden torsos. This horrible Pucca is said to wander through grain fields, the withered human arms sweeping through the plants and rotting them in swaths, causing rampant famines. The eyes of the human head in the Phlabeir's chest are the spirit's most dangerous feature, as any livestock or humanoid's caught in its gaze are struck with a horrible pestilence. It is from this spirit that outbreaks of plagues are spawned.   Toirse (Ty-or-ss)   Found everywhere that Scilen practitioners are found, sightings of the Toirse are common and frightening, especially in the region of the Bacainn Mountains. This spirit can be encountered on nights in which Ochi does not light the dangerous roads. At first appearing as a flame hovering over the road ahead, it rapidly approaches, the sound of uneven footsteps thudding into dirt coming to ears. Once within arm's length, the ball of torchfire suddenly shifts into something else, always different. Sometimes a shambling corpse, sometimes a tri-headed serpent, or even a withered dragon, the Toirse seems to shift with each sighting. Even with all these variations, they always carry aloft a blazing lantern, burning with an ethereal flame. While sometimes the Toirse merely swipes away jewelry, livestock, or carts, othertimes they leave their victims with horrible burns. These infernal wounds continue to spark with agony for the rest of the victims days.